(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a medicine dispenser adapted to feed liquid medicine via a retromolar pad area, and more particularly to a medicine dispenser having a liquid discharge tube enveloped in a protective tube of soft plastic. The liquid discharge tube can be inserted into a subject's oral cavity from a comer of the mouth and be pushed further inwardly to its rear end until it is positioned naturally at the retromolar pad area at the rear sections of the gums so that liquid medicine can be ejected directly into the subject's throat, thus overcoming the problem of feeding subjects who are unwilling to open their mouth or who resist administration.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Administering medicine to a subject who resists taking medicine and refuses to open his/her mouth is a very difficult job. In the past, some people would force open the subject's mouth and feed the medicine using a spoon. However, the subject might easily get choked by the medicine. There has been developed a kind of medicine dispenser that resembles a syringe, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,126. However, as the medicine inevitably passes over the root of the tongue, the subject will likewise resist being fed the medicine.
There has also been developed a nipple-like medicine dispenser that has a Y-shaped liquid discharge passage, such that those taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,816,547 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,588,846. In use, the medicine is ejected in two directions past the root of the tongue directly into the esophagus via the lateral sides of the throat, so that the subject will not taste the bitterness of the medicine.
However, after several trials, the subject will learn to resist the user's administration of medicine by shaking his/her head or refusing to open his/her mouth. Hence, the administration of medicine becomes difficult. Even if the user can force open the subject's mouth, the amount of the medicine dispensed cannot be easily controlled or the medicine will not flow along the expected path along the throat into the esophagus. And the subject, usually a baby, will feel more uncomfortable when tasting the bitter medicine and will resist administration even more violently.
In the above-mentioned medicine dispensing structures, they are also pushed to the central section of the oral cavity of the subject, and the subject needs to open his/her mouth to allow administration. If the subject refuses administration by clenching his/her teeth or gums or closing his/her mouth firmly, the user has to think of every means or require the help of another person to try to force open the subject's mouth, which is very troublesome and may hurt the subject. Furthermore, if the subject is a very small baby, clenching its gums firmly may hurt its gums or teeth or even its oral cavity.